


Forever Darkness

by BlackOrbit



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Angst, Ciel has Nightmares, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares, Pining Sebastian, Sebastian Is Watching Over Ciel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-25
Updated: 2019-02-25
Packaged: 2019-11-05 13:05:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17919332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackOrbit/pseuds/BlackOrbit
Summary: With eyes burning like liquid crimson, the demon waits. Still and motionless, he watches over the fragile form of this one human being he is bound to for eternity.





	Forever Darkness

It's long past midnight when Sebastian ghosts through the mansion, passes through quiet and dark hallways, moving with careful and soundless steps. The candle in his hand flickers unsteadily, causing vague shadows to dance creepily along the solid walls. 

His senses sharpen when Sebastian stands in front of a massive wooden door. He hears the grandfather clock ticking, a steady noise downstairs in the anteroom. He hears the rustle of leaves outside the tall mansion, the trembling that goes through the trees in the wide area of garden that belongs to Phantomhive manor. He even hears the distant call of an owl, far away, waiting for its prey. But above all the sounds the demon is able to hear there is one noise that stands out the most, that's more important and familiar to him than anything else.

With gleaming eyes he pins his gaze on the door. It's muffled by the thick wood but Sebastian would always recognize the breathing behind that door that comes out flat and a little strained.

With a quiet squeak he enters his master's bedroom, causing the curtains to blow softly in the sudden wind. His eyes land on the reason of his nightly spree immediately, gaze targeting on the fragile body that's enthroned on a massive bed, perched between cushions and a blanket that are of such an unnatural white colour, it almost looks eerie the way the weak moonlight lets the linen shine with a sick glow. He approaches the end of the bed slowly, stroking across the bed's frame with his free gloved hand. 

When Sebastian lets his hand fall to his side again and steps two feet back, the boy in front of him suddenly stirs, his face twitching.

"No, I said don't touch me!" Sebastian lifts his head. Silence follows.

Then there's a low moan, the young Earl tossing his head from one side to the other. "Don't you dare, you- No, let me-" Sebastian's hand twitches but he remains on his spot and doesn't move any closer, only watches the boy in his troubled sleep from afar. 

Ciel whimpers, Sebastian blinks. It's been this way for weeks now, the nightmares, his master's pain. The young Lord had been suffering from nightly terrors and uncontrollable bad dreams for the past two years, originally caused by his parents' death and the torture he had to endure afterwards. It had gotten better, after some time, but Sebastian knows that his master is easy to trigger, always has been. Sebastian trails his gaze over the boy's form and his eyes narrow when he sees Ciel's cheeks wet, silent tears dropping off his face and onto the white linen. 

Of course Sebastian knows what keeps his master struggling even in his sleep, the reasons for his unsettled appearance. He looks at Ciel's bruised eye and the scratches covering his bare left arm that's dangling off the edge of the bed. His eyes fix on his right shoulder that's covered by his nightgown and the blanket. He knows the cut there is not too severe but healing slowly, causing pain to his master whenever the boy moves his wounded arm.

It's been a month since the young Earl's aunt died. One month since Viscount Druitt tried to sell Ciel's body on one of his illegal auctions when their only intention was to identify and find the murderer of all those innocent women. His master hadn't talked to him about that night when they got home, not about the things the Viscount had said to him, not about the things they had done to him. But for Sebastian, his master's empty gaze and the bruises on his soft skin were indications enough for what most certainly had happened that night. It's also been one month since they both finally exposed the true culprits in that recent case. Not being surprised by the outcome of this story at all, Ciel however had troubles accepting the truth. Often at night the butler listens to him, either crying out for his parents or the Madame.

When Sebastian thinks of the sharp pain that shot through his shoulder the moment Madame Red hurt his master with her knife as if she was inflicting _him_ that wound, the corner of his lips twitches. Being bound to the Lord doesn't only mean he has to obey unconditionally and has to follow his master's every single order, it does also mean all of his senses are trained on him and only on him and that he's imprinted on his master in every possible way. When Madame Red attacked the boy it had felt like she attacked him too.

The accident lies one month back into the past so there had been enough time for Sebastian to consider and re-think about the happenings again, and _again_ , but eventually he had to admit that in that very moment it was fear what he'd been feeling. Not for him, of course, but for his master who was threatened with death once more, only a few feet away from him. Under any other circumstances noone would ever be able to lay a hand on the young Earl and harm him with Sebastian standing _this close_ to his master, but still...

It had been the first time in his new life as the Phantomhive butler that an opponent was equal to him. He'd been distracted by the Grim Reaper Grell and his scythe for a moment too long and hadn't noticed Ciel was in actual danger too until it had almost been too late.

And now, with each day passing by, Sebastian watches Ciel's grief about his loss turning into a stoic and embittered mask on his youthful face. Sometimes he tries to understand what it feels like, those emotions his master is struggling against in a daily fight. Even though Ciel tries to hide it, tries to cover it with his arrogance and his bossiness he can't outplay his butler. Sebastian sees right through his facade, just behind his mask. He knows how to see behind those careful built walls. The loss of his aunt, his only remaining relative, made him even more determined to take revenge in the name of his family.

Sometimes, when the young Lord sits at his desk, rooks of paperwork piling up at his sides, he wonders how a kid this age is able to manage such a calm composure but he sees the riot storming in his deep blue eyes nevertheless. Ciel may be a master of games but he can never fool a demon.

In the long span of his entire existence Sebastian had seen hundreds and thousands of humans die, their deaths caused by various occacions or by his own hands. That one woman's death doesn't matter to him, her life didn't hold any value nor did she play any other important role.

Yet for Ciel, another world has collapsed. Betrayed and misused by his own aunt Sebastian can see why the young Lord is acting even more cruel and overbearing than usual in those past weeks.

And then, and only at times, there's something in Sebastian's stomach that twitches when he thinks about that faked hard countenance of that boy that's screaming for his father, his mother, _him_ when he's facing the abyss in his mind, facing his worst memories and fears at night. When he sees that distanced stare and when he hears that broken, begging voice he just feels himself drawn to that boy, something he never thought would happen.

He feels himself drawn to a boy that's just a kid and a _human_ , after all. And he doesn't really want to think about it, can't _allow_ himself to contemplate it any further. But in reality, he already knows what that means, he has heard of it before, has seen it before.

Against the common belief, and he's convinced Ciel has no clue either, demons are capable of emotions too, beside the vicious feelings his kind is known for. He's feeling so much more than just malevolence and gluttony, rage and unscrupulousness. Sometimes, when he watches Ciel laughing, genuinely laughing, with Lady Elizabeth or when he hears his master's chuckle, quiet yet amused, he feels his own lips curl into a gentle smile. When his master eyes the blue ring on his thumb wistfully or when he glances at his parents' portrait surreptitiously, his own heart starts bleeding too.

He feels more, so much more than just those feelings humanity is reducing him and the whole demonkind to. It's not only the desire for his master's soul, for finally tasting his agony and pain on his tongue. Not anymore.

Two years ago, in a dreary and stormy night, Sebastian had been summoned. Attracted by a hopeless voice calling out for help, almost facing death and ready to pay the highest price a human can pay for salvation, he'd been evoked from hell. Fascinated and drawn in by a child too mature for his age, led only by his hatred and his strong desire for revenge, Sebastian couldn't await Ciel's payday.

But one can never know what the future holds, and even a demon like Sebastian isn't able to predict destiny's next moves.

Suddenly the candle in his hand catches his attention and while he stares down on the burned down wax, feeling slightly startled, the little flame flickers one more time and then extinguishes. Darkness dominates the room but it only takes one second for Sebastian to adjust his eyes to the new lighting conditions. Now the moonlight shines dimmly through the large windows, flooding the beedroom with silver light.

For all this time Sebastian is Ciel's butler now the Earl had only slept with the curtains drawn back. Wherever they travel, wherever they have to spend a night, the young Lord never wants to sleep in a room so dark he isn't able to make out his own hand. The darker the room or the darker the night the more troubled does his master's sleep become, Sebastian found out a long while ago.

Smoothly, Sebastian transfers his gaze from the nightly view to his master again. He feels more, so much more than just this greed. While he couldn't await the fulfilment of their contract at first he slowly started developing affection for this boy he never thought to become this _strong_ and _deep_.

Still, Sebastian is well aware that, even though Ciel Phantomhive is more mature and intellectual for his age than anybody else Sebastian had ever known, he is still a _kid_. And there's no possible way Sebastian would ever burden him with those strong feelings he has for his master. He can't expect Ciel to understand and he can't request him to try.

Everything a demon ever feels is experienced many times over what humans are capable of. But Sebastian supresses all of his emotions, it's the only thing he can do. Yet there are moments where he can't hide _everything_ , where worry and concern display on his face when his master is too absorbed and lost in his thoughts or when he carries the boy home after a mission, skin covered with fresh bruises, causing the boy in his arms to flinch every time he unintentionally touches them. And Sebastian is aware that Ciel notices the change in his eyes in moments like these too. But he does also know that the boy thinks he's just pretending to actually care about his master, that he's just _playing_ with him. But Sebastian never plays.

And Sebastian can't blame him for coming to such a false conclusion. Because with his eyes burning in red and his perfidious grin he can't deny what his true form _is_ , a demon, mischiveous and evil.

"Sebastian-" The demon's eyes dart to the boy's face quickly when he suddenly hears his master calling out for him. Ciel is still asleep but his features look distorted and tensed again. He's panting slightly and Sebastian can see a thin sweat film on his forehead.

"Seb...", Ciel rasps a second time, his voice sounding pained. His whole body shivers once, then he jolts awake. He breathes heavily, his eyes darting through the room, unfocused. Sebastian watches as Ciel's panicked eyes find him standing right next to the window. "Sebastian", the young Lord whispers again while his gaze visibly eases. His heart stirs but Sebastian forces his features to stay in his typical inscrutable exterior. He wants to grit his teeth but he only lifts an eyebrow instead. 

"Bocchan." Lifting his free hand to his chest he bows his head slightly while he puts a reassuring tone to his voice, approaching his master's bed. "You've called for me."

**Author's Note:**

> Hey folks! To the Germans among you: Is anyone else going to the Twenty One Pilots concert today? There are only 4 hours left and I'm.so.excited!  
> Anyways, I'm re-watching Black Butler at the moment and I just love their relationship, idk ^^xD


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